I was pretty excited when I saw this advertised; I love craft shows, and even though I rarely make anything from them, I just like to know what the possibilities are if I suddenly find myself with a bit of time on my hands.

Craft it Yourself launched on Channel 4 this week, with presenters Clemency Green, Ant Antstead, and Robin Johnson. Each week they each demonstrate a variety of crafts to makeover a room in a particular theme. This week, a dining room got a Cuban makeover. Continue reading “TV Review: Craft it Yourself, Channel 4”→

Even as I write this post, I’m seriously doubting whether to publish it, because doing so is making a commitment to temporarily have a break from alcohol, which I’m not convinced I can stick to.

I’m not really a big drinker as such; my days of staying out until the early hours and waking up at lunch time with a stinking hangover are long gone, thank goodness, but I am a frequent drinker, albeit in small amounts. That frequency seems to have increased recently, to the point that I realised 2 weeks had gone by and I’d had something pretty much every night. That might have just been a glass of wine, or a couple of G&Ts; never enough for me to feel drunk or wake up feeling rough, but I could tell that it was still taking a toll on me.

I felt tired, slow, bloated, and was getting nasty headaches, all of which improved with sticking to good old Tea for an evening, instead of hitting the G&T.

I often look forward to nothing more than getting home from a busy day at work, and relaxing with a nice glass of red, but drinking so frequently was even starting to take the enjoyment out of it, and the last thing I want is for it to become habit. I want to be able to really enjoy a glass of good wine, when I truly deserve it after a hard day.

That’s why, by writing this post, I am committing to 2 alcohol free weeks. I know it’s not a long time, but even before I start I know I’ll feel better for it, and I’m pretty sure I’ll even see an improvement on my waistline, as I dread to think the amount of calories my daily glass or two of wine have added up to.

I promise to be honest about whether I stick to this, but, as I write this with a glass of orange juice by my side, the challenge begins…

When you’re about to become a new mum, you expect there to be a huge learning curve. Everything is new, and everything is a challenge. However, I’ve acquired a few unexpected skills over the last year. None of this screams ‘supermum’, but I’m finding my own little ways of appearing capable of looking after a small person and generally holding everything together, despite the exhaustion and lack of any real skills in the parenting area!

I am now proficient in:

Successfully getting a nappy on and dressing a moving target

Singing ‘row your boat’ on repeat, whilst still keeping up with what’s going on in Orange is the New Black, or whatever TV show I happen to be watching at the time (thank you, subtitles)

Making a cup of tea using only one hand

Drying my hair, getting dressed and putting on make-up in approximately 5 minutes flat, and still looking somewhat presentable

Managing a lot of my household cleaning with nothing other than a packet of baby wipes

The bathroom. My favourite room in the house. Partly because it’s the one room where I’m guaranteed a bit of quiet time (even if I have to pretend to be on the loo), but also because time in the tub is one of the few moments throughout the day when my mind isn’t switched on to work, how messy the kitchen is, or whatever challenge the little one has presented me with most recently.

I’ve most recently added a bit of personality to the walls, courtesy of these lovely Martha and Hepsie bird-themed prints. Is there any better time to have a tiny penguin reassure you that everything is going to be ok than when you’re relaxing in the tub? I think not.